


The ILYs

by Miss_Romance_Lover



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 08:02:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7706887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Romance_Lover/pseuds/Miss_Romance_Lover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by 100 Ways To Say 'I Love You' by @smittenwithsugden - this will be a collection of short ficlets, each one based on different ways in which Aaron could say I Love You to Robert for the first time since their reunion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Casual 'I Love You'

“You sure you can’t meet me for lunch later?” Robert asked in between bites of toast.

Aaron finished his last mouthful of cereal, went to slurp from the bowl as usual and then gave him a childish grin when he clocked the grimace on his boyfriend’s face. “I really can’t,” he replied. “Gonna take a sandwich or something in with me instead. We’ve got too much work on and if I’m taking the day off tomorrow then I’d better do a bit of grafting today.”

Robert nodded. “Fair enough. I can’t complain if I’m getting you all to myself tomorrow.”

“Exactly. Where you taking me anyway?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

Aaron sighed, standing up and locating his jacket. “Really, you’re gonna do the whole ‘surprise’ thing?”

“Why not?” Robert was draining his coffee, watching his boyfriend getting ready to leave for the day. 

“It’s just we’ve never…no, doesn’t matter,” he cut himself off, deciding to enjoy the moment. “But if it turns out you’re taking me to a hotel, I’m not putting a suit on this time.”

Robert couldn’t help but grin, remembering their first overnight stay together. Now he raised an eyebrow at him. “Right. In that case, just don’t be disappointed when all you get is fish and chips on a cold park bench.” 

“Funny. Anyway you’re loaded mate. Can’t get away with a chippie tea on a date anymore,” Aaron smirked.

“I don’t know what shocks me more; finding out you’re only after me for my money, or hearing you call it a date.”

“Oh shut up,” he laughed, nudging him playfully. “I’d better get going.”

Robert stood up, clearing the table of their breakfast things. “See you later then,” he smiled. 

“Yeah,” Aaron replied, picking up his phone and wandering out the door. “Bye. Love you.”

It took a few seconds for Robert to register what had just been said. Little did he know that Aaron was in a state of shock himself as he walked to his car, stunned that after all this time without saying those three words, he’d let it slip so suddenly and so easily.

He unlocked the car and sat inside, and was just shutting the door when his phone buzzed with a text. ‘Love you too,’ it said.


	2. The Committed 'I Love You'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the lovely response to the first chapter! :)

“Aaron, if the police catch up with Andy before he gets a chance to leave, they’ll arrest anyone trying to help him. So I need to do this alone, okay? I’m not dragging you into this mess.”

Robert’s voice was firm, but the expression on Aaron’s face told him he wasn’t going to let this go. “Well tough, because I’m already involved. And anyway, I’m the one with personal experience of being on the run.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Robert asked in confusion. 

“Well, have you thought about how to get Andy out of the country? Because I’ve got a fake passport sitting in a drawer upstairs that hasn’t been used since I legged it home from France. He might need it.”

Aaron saw the moment it dawned on the man, saw the disappointment cross his face at not solving the passport issue himself. “I didn’t even think of that,” Robert admitted quietly, picking up Andy’s own, now useless passport and holding it up as evidence to illustrate how stupid he felt in that moment. 

“Yeah well, neither did I at the time,” Aaron replied. “It was Cain who sorted all that out for me. Rob, I can see by that look on your face that you’re annoyed with yourself, so stop it. You’ve barely stopped to breathe since you found out that Andy’s escaped. Just let me help.”

“You said it yourself, you ended up in prison because of him; if you get caught helping him you know it’ll happen all over again.”

The younger man sighed. “Don’t you think I’m worrying about exactly the same thing with you? But I know full well you’re still going to risk it. If it makes you feel better I’ll stay in the car while you see him off at the airport.”

“You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?” Robert asked, a small smile playing at his lips.

“No. And neither did you during the trial, even when I pushed you away and I’m so glad about that. I haven’t had the chance yet, to show you that it works both ways – this whole thing of being there for each other.” Aaron took a long breath after that little speech, grinning somewhat awkwardly. 

“You don’t have to prove anything to me, you do know that don’t you? I was there for you because I love you, Aaron.”

“I know,” he said simply. Then he thought about his response; the same words he’d been saying for months whenever his boyfriend said anything even slightly sentimental. It was about time he said more. “Robert?”

He had been on the point of asking Aaron for the passport he’d mentioned, but the thoughtful, gentle way he said his name stopped Robert in his tracks. There was also the way he was looking at him – his whole face has softened. “Yeah?”

“I love you too.”

As the words sank in Aaron was pulled into a kiss that started slow, but grew heated enough for him to pull away reluctantly. “Later,” he promised suggestively, bringing them both back to the very pressing matter at hand. “I’ll just…just go and get that old passport. There’s still a few years left on it yet. You get the scissors and cut out Andy’s photo so we can stick it on there. We’re amateurs at this but I reckon it’ll do.”

Robert watched him disappear upstairs, and took a moment to dwell blissfully on those three words he’d finally got to hear. Then he cleared his thoughts and gathered up the bag of necessities he’d already sorted out for his brother. Andy was laying low at Vic’s – she had decided to support this plan rather than see him fail to cope in prison – and they would go and get him once they were sure the police were moving on their search.

He had just finished extracting his brother’s picture from the original passport (a photograph in which the man’s hair was longer and his face more youthful; something Robert hoped would help avoid suspicion compared to the description seen on the news), when Aaron reappeared.

Without saying anything, the younger man took Andy’s photo from Robert and managed quite effortlessly to stick it over the spot on the fake passport where his own had been. Aaron then took out his phone and pulled up a number on the screen, finding some paper and writing it down. Robert watched him curiously.

“Tell Andy not to go straight to Debbie and the kids, yeah? First place the police will look. Give him this,” he pressed the small piece of paper in Robert’s hand. “And tell him to mention me when he calls. It’s a mate who helped me out with a bit of work when I lived in France. Opposite side of the country to Debs too so it’ll be less suspicious.”

Robert gazed at him in total surprise. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I’m doing it for you. Because…well, you know.”

Squeezing Aaron’s shoulder in a silent thank you, Robert did a final check on the items they had organised for Andy, and then together they ventured outside to check whether police officers were still lurking.


	3. The Worried 'I Love You'

Aaron launched himself into Robert’s arms, overwhelmed with relief. If his heart had stopped earlier amidst the fear that the very worst had happened, now it was beating wildly.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Robert said gently, holding him close as the younger man buried his face in his neck. 

“What the hell happened?” Aaron demanded, although he could see for himself as he looked all around them. Somehow a van had crashed into the portacabin, and Robert had been working in there alone at the time. Police and an ambulance were only just appearing.

“The bloke must be drunk or something,” the older man sighed, referring to the driver. They watched as an officer and a paramedic approached the man who remained sat in the driving seat. “They’ll be breathalysing him, surely.”

Another paramedic was making her way over to them, and Aaron turned back to look at his boyfriend. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” Robert replied quickly, then seemed to think it over. “Well, I was knocked over with the impact, obviously, so I hit my head. Could have been worse, I could have been trapped in there!”

The paramedic stood before them. “I’ll need to check you over, Mr…?”

“Sugden,” he supplied with a tight smile, still holding onto Aaron. “I’m okay, though.”

“Even so,” the woman replied. “Come on, follow me to the ambulance and we’ll sit you down. You’re in one piece and you’re standing, so that’s a good start.”

They did as she instructed, Aaron sitting close beside Robert while the paramedic checked his vitals. “He hit his head,” he informed her when it seemed as though she was nearly finished. Robert gave him a half-hearted glare, but he simply folded his arms and stared him down.

She responded by telling them that he may need a scan, so it would be best to head straight to the hospital. They were left alone for a few minutes while she went to check the status of the van driver with her colleague.

“Oh, what did you tell her that for? We could have saved ourselves the bother. I’m alright, you know.”

Aaron didn’t reply.

“Aaron?”

The man let out a shaky breath, then looked him in the eye. “You could have some kind of head injury, for all we know.”

“Listen, I feel fine, you really don’t have to--” Robert was cut off rather firmly by an insistent Aaron, though he didn’t raise his voice.

“Shut up a minute, Rob. I’ve already lost one person way before their time. I will not risk losing you too. I love you, you stubborn idiot. Now please, let them take us to the hospital so you can have this scan.”

Both paramedics had now returned to the ambulance; minus the van driver who seemed to be completely uninjured. The male one headed up front to drive, while the woman who had checked Robert over smiled at them. “Ready?” she asked, climbing up into the vehicle.

Robert looked once more at Aaron’s face, feeling the absolute truth of the man’s words in every square inch of his features. “Okay,” he said, more to his boyfriend than in answer to the paramedic. “Okay.” He stood up and Aaron smiled softly, following him to sit inside the ambulance.


	4. The Unexpected 'I Love You'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the Kudos and comments to my writing!

“You look happy,” Paddy observed as he sat with Aaron in the corner of the pub, both nursing pints of beer. It was the first chance they had had to catch up since his return from Germany, what with finding out about Rhona and Pierce.

“Yeah,” Aaron replied with a smile. “I am.”

“So you’re happy with Robert then,” the older man stated, finding it odd that there was clearly no need to question it.

“You don’t have to sound quite so surprised.”

Paddy gave him a knowing look. “I think I reserve the right to sound very surprised, actually. I mean come on, after everything he did last year?”

Aaron opened his mouth to respond just as Robert himself appeared in front of them. He sat down next to his boyfriend. “Are my ears burning?”

Taking a breath to reply, then apparently thinking better of it, Paddy returned his gaze back to the man he thought of as a son. “Let’s recap in case you’ve forgotten, Aaron. He shot me,” he continued as though Robert wasn’t there. “Threatened Rhona and Leo…held you captive…he killed--”

“That’s enough now, Paddy,” Aaron cut him off sharply. Beside him, Robert didn’t know where to look. He wasn’t planning on defending himself; after all it was all very much true. But none of what he had done took away from what he felt for Aaron.

“Is this you trying to tell me that everything Robert has done is suddenly okay? That it doesn’t matter?” Paddy was incredulous. Because he and Aaron hadn’t been on good terms at the time, he hadn’t felt able to say all this before leaving; even though it was already obvious by then that Aaron and Robert were an item.

Now that he was back though, he couldn’t hold back his concerns.

“No,” Aaron told him. “No, I’m not saying that. None of it was okay. But he’s a different person now. You think I’d be with him if I thought for one second that he’d actually hurt my godson?”

“I don’t think you really know what he’s capable of,” Paddy said, though the certainty in Aaron’s voice had thrown him a bit.

“Oh I do, Paddy. Believe me I do. I know Robert better than anyone does.” The two younger men shared a fond look at that. “Except maybe Vic,” he added, earning a smirk from Robert.

“If it makes you feel even a little bit better, Paddy,” Robert chipped in. “He doesn’t let me get away with anything. Absolutely nothing gets past him.”

Aaron laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I’ve turned into you, mate,” he told his father figure. 

Paddy didn’t catch on to his meaning. “Sorry?”

“You remember all those lectures you gave me back when I lived with you and couldn’t behave myself? You should see me trying to discipline Liv now.”

“Ahh, look at you now, all grown up!” Momentarily forgetting himself, Paddy nudged Aaron in that teasing way they’d always shared. Watching the two of them, Robert couldn’t help but chuckle, though he stopped when Paddy noticed and sent him another cold stare.

“So all this is thanks to you?” he asked, eyes fixed on the blond.

“Er…’this’?”

“Him, smiling,” Paddy pointed to Aaron. “More than once in the same day.”

Aaron rolled his eyes. “Thanks. Good to know what a miserable git you think I am. Look, you know Robert was here for me through all the stuff with…with Gordon. The trial and…everything. And I know you tried to be there too, Paddy and I pushed you away. I’m good at that, aren’t I. But Robert, he’s been my rock.”

All Robert and Paddy could do was gape at him. 

“Oh, shut up,” he added as an afterthought, seeing their stunned faces and suddenly feeling embarrassed. “I don’t do soppy but it needed saying.”

Robert leaned closer to him. “I can do soppy,” he said into his ear. “I love you.”

Paddy watched with renewed interest as Aaron’s smile grew even wider. The younger man stared into his lap for a moment, and then surprised even himself as he lifted his head, locked eyes with his boyfriend and spoke loudly enough for the table next door to hear.

“I love you too.”

The moment Aaron uttered the words, Paddy realised his presence was lost to both men. They only had eyes for each other.

“Well,” Paddy announced awkwardly, standing up to leave. “I won’t do the whole ‘hurt Aaron and I’ll kill you’ thing because a) I can’t pull that off, and b) I’m sure Cain has already said it. Aaaaand you’re not listening anyway so I’ll just be going. Back to Marlon’s where I’ll probably be interrupting him and Carly instead.” 

Aaron mumbled out a quick “bye” without breaking eye contact with his boyfriend. Paddy sighed and wandered out of the Woolpack, shaking his head but smiling nonetheless.


	5. The Urgent 'I Love You'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit longer and based on a vague idea of what we know so far about the October scenes. Also there's been some debate recently about Aaron & Robert calling each other 'mate' - I don't think it takes away from the fact that they're in a relationship, so I threw it in there for this chapter. Your continued comments & kudos are much appreciated!

Aaron woke up in a bed that wasn’t his own. And it wasn’t the preferred alternative either; that would have been a luxury hotel bed. No, he was in hospital, hooked up to a morphine drip. It took him some time to remember what had led to this and in that time he grew anxious and agitated.

“Hey, hey it’s okay,” Robert was sitting close to the bed, reaching out to clasp his hand now. “You’re alright, Aaron. I’m here.”

“Robert…” It was as the question was on the tip of his tongue that his last memory hit: the two of them struggling to control an unstable Lachlan. Aaron remembered a searing pain as the boy struck him hard with…was it a rock?

He felt no such pain now, mercifully thanks to the morphine that was currently flooding his veins.

“What’s happened to him, then?” he asked now, not needing to elaborate as Robert knew he could only be talking about Lachlan.

“He threatened to jump off the quarry - I think he really meant it as well. Anyway he’s been sectioned, so he’ll either stay where he is or end up in young offenders,” Robert informed him. “The police said they’ve got enough to clear Andy of attempted murder though. And to charge Chrissie with perverting the course of justice.”

Aaron managed a weak but genuine smile. “That’s great.”

“Yeah, except it took so long to sort this that I almost lost you in the process. God, I was terrified. Why couldn’t he have hit me instead? I was the one he was angry with.”

“Don’t say that,” Aaron replied quietly. 

Robert squeezed his hand, and he was able to return the gesture, if only with the lightest amount of pressure. Aaron caught the way his boyfriend’s gaze flicked down to their joined hands and realised something was amiss.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, it’s just…you felt that.”

“Yeah, why?”

“The doctor…he said we wouldn’t know the extent of your injuries until you woke up properly. You regained consciousness a couple of hours ago but you were in so much pain they had to up your doses, and by then you couldn’t keep your eyes open.”

“I don’t remember. Are you saying…they didn’t know if I’d be paralysed?”

Robert reached out to stroke Aaron’s hair, aiming to soothe his fears. “I don’t want you worrying about it, they’ve not said anything either way. And like I said, you felt that just now when I squeezed your hand. I don’t need to be a doctor to know that’s a really good sign.”

“What about my legs, though?” Aaron asked, beginning to feel the panic rising. “I can’t feel them at all right now. Is that just the morphine, or--”

“Hey, don’t do this yet, okay? Your mum and Paddy will be back in a bit with coffee, and then the doctor will come back and we’ll find out what’s going on. Just don’t torture yourself.”

Paddy and Chas turned up within minutes, fussing over him just as he expected. Robert was right; the doctor appeared soon after that. He explained that they had no reason to assume any sort of paralysis was present, but that he would be back later to perform tests to check whether Aaron had any feeling in his legs. These were tests that he remembered all too well from the early days after Jackson’s accident. 

To his mother’s frustration, Aaron had asked that only Robert stayed in the room with him while the tests were carried out. 

“Aaron?” He had been thinking about Jackson until Robert’s voice broke his thoughts. “The nurse just came to say that doctor will be in in a minute. You okay? You looked like you were somewhere else there for a while.”

He turned his head to look at him, unable to voice what he wanted to say.

“You’re scared,” Robert read his expression correctly. “Listen to me. It’s all gonna be fine.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Here’s what I do know, then: I love you. I love you and I’m not going anywhere.”

The doctor appeared before Aaron could respond. The first couple of times he touched the pin to his body, he felt nothing. He watched it happening and felt like he was living through what Jackson had had to go through, and the thought of it made him feel sick. Then, finally, something happened. 

He felt the sensation in his left foot first; the doctor prodding a second and third time just to confirm it. Then again in his right foot, until suddenly Aaron and Robert were laughing in pure joy and utter relief.

The doctor smiled at them both, told them that it would still take a while for Aaron to build his strength back up and mentioned that someone from the physio department would pop by the following day. Then he left them alone once more.

Robert immediately cupped Aaron’s face and kissed him. “What did I tell you, eh?” When he spotted the younger man’s tearful face he frowned in concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I really thought…I was convinced I wouldn’t be able to feel anything. After what happened to Jackson…I was thinking about him while we were waiting for the tests. His accident was down to me and I thought, if I ended up not being able to walk again then that’d be my karma.”

Robert shook his head. “You really have been torturing yourself, haven’t you. You can’t possibly blame yourself for what happened to him. That wasn’t down to you, Aaron.”

“You weren’t there,” Aaron argued. “He got in his car and drove away because I couldn’t bring myself to tell him I loved him. Because at the time I just didn’t know how I felt. He crashed because I was calling him to come back.”

“And do you honestly think Jackson would want you to feel guilty about that for the rest of your life?”

“Well, no,” he conceded. “I thought I’d already let it go, to be honest. But then all this…I don’t know if it’s the actual accident I’m dwelling on or the fact that I could have stopped it if I’d just been able to say the words. Something was stopping me back then but there’s nothing stopping me now.”

“Are we still talking about Jackson?” Robert said slowly, confused now. 

“I’m talking about me, realising that since we got back together I haven’t said it…and if something happened to you or if I hadn’t made it out of this alive and you didn’t know how much I--”

“Aaron…”

“I love you,” he blurted out, ending his ramblings once and for all. It felt surprisingly natural falling out of his mouth, and Aaron wondered what had kept him from saying it every hour of every day because that’s how this man made him feel.

Robert’s face changed from worried, to bemused, until it lit up at the sound of the words. “I know you do,” he replied in a gentle voice. “It was nice to hear it though.”

He leaned down for another kiss, and this time Aaron was able to enjoy it fully. Unfortunately the moment was interrupted by Chas barging back into the room, with Paddy following close behind. Adam had also arrived, and spotting the kissing couple he started teasing them before anyone else could get a word in.

“Wheyyyyy, put ‘im down mate!” He exclaimed loudly to Aaron. Both men rolled their eyes at him. “Glad to see you’re alright though lad.” 

Chas piped up, ignoring the banter completely. “Well? What happened then?”

“Your son just told me he loved me,” Robert replied happily, making Aaron snort beside him. He was grinning too, though.

“You know full well I’m talking about the tests,” she glared at him. “Come on!”

Aaron spoke up. “Well I’m smiling, Mum, so what do you think? It’s good news. Starting physio tomorrow.”

“Thank God for that,” Paddy sighed. “I couldn’t help thinking back to--”

“Don’t, Paddy,” he cut him off. “I did as well. And it really got to me, while I was lying here waiting. But Jackson would be telling me to stop being such a miserable sod, wouldn’t he?”

The older man had to nod at that. Behind him, Adam was smiling knowingly. Chas was looking at her son fondly and Robert wore an identical expression as he watched Aaron himself.

“Now go on you lot, go home and get some rest. Mum, take Rob with you.”

“Er, I’m not leaving,” Robert said before Chas could reply.

Aaron sighed. “You’re knackered, mate. Go and sleep.” 

“Yeah, I can stay for a bit, you guys head home,” Adam chipped in.

“But--”

“Robert. I’m putting my foot down. Or at least I’ll try and do that tomorrow when I’m out of this bed,” Aaron joked. “Now go on, do one. Love you.”

Seeing the insistent look on his face, Robert finally relented. “Right, okay fine. I’ll be back soon though. Love you too.” And at that he followed Chas and Paddy out of the door, too busy smiling to himself to notice their surprise at the very sentimental Aaron.


	6. The Appreciative 'I Love You'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on the spoilers for next week, because we all know that in comparison to anything like this, what we'll actually get is Aaron leaving for France with a quick "See ya" and that'll be our lot ;) Thanks again for all the feedback!

“I can’t go,” Aaron said with a sigh, dropping down onto the sofa. “I mean, we can’t just take off and leave Mum to deal with Liv alone.”

He had just got back from a visit to the school, where he had been informed that his sister’s latest unruly act was to set off the fire alarm.

“Aaron, you have to go, you can’t miss an opportunity like this,” Robert insisted. “I’ll stay here and help with Liv. It’ll be fine.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t. I’m offering, okay?”

Aaron’s stress-ridden face cleared enough for a smile to break out. “I love you.”

Robert joined him on the sofa, the shock of his boyfriend’s words rendering him speechless for a minute. He kissed him instead, slowly and sensually. “Really?” he asked once they had broken apart for air.

“Have I not said before?” The younger man looked surprised.

“Not since last year when--”

“Oh. When I begged you not to marry Chrissie,” Aaron recalled sadly. “I remember. Didn’t realise I hadn’t told you since then, though. I’m sorry. And I’m sorry about France as well.”

“What have you got to be sorry for?” Robert asked, confused.

“This trip was supposed to be for me and you, some time to ourselves. Well, and for business too, obviously. But I was really looking forward to it just being us.”

Linking their hands together, Robert pressed another kiss to his lips, and then brushed their mouths together in between replying. “Hmm, I believe it’s ‘just us’ right now. You know, if you feel like rewarding me…”

“Oh yeah,” he smirked. “And why do you think you deserve a reward?”

“Because I love you so much that I’m giving up a holiday to babysit a moody teenager?”

“Mmm,” Aaron could feel himself getting carried away already as Robert continued to kiss him. “Paddy did that for free when I was the moody kid, you know. Looked after me out of the kindness of his heart.”

His tone was teasing, but Robert groaned. “Can we not talk about Paddy while we’re…” Aaron laughed before he could finish the sentence.

Without disconnecting from each other, they stood and headed for the stairs, where it seemed Robert was indeed about to be rewarded for his efforts.

*

“Someone’s looking sulky,” Chas said with a grin a few days later, as Aaron prepared to leave for the airport just after they’d all had breakfast.

Liv shrugged her shoulders. “You would be too if you were left here with Robert,” she replied.

“I AM left here with Robert,” the woman chuckled. “And he’s the one I was talking to, actually love. Look at his face; you’d think Aaron was emigrating!”

Robert sighed, and shook his head when Aaron looked over in amusement. “Shut up,” he said without any bite to the words, his mouth curling into a tiny smile despite himself.

“Right, are you gonna drive me to the airport then Rob?”

He picked up his car keys by way of an answer, then offered to take the bags to the car while Aaron said goodbye to Liv and his mum.

“Stay out of trouble, you,” Aaron was telling his sister just as Robert came in through the back door. He stood just outside the door to the living room, listening in. “Don’t go driving Robert up the wall; I’d quite like it if he was still here when I got back.” 

“It’ll take more than this little madam to scare me off, Aaron,” he announced, wandering casually back into the room. Liv playfully poked her tongue out at him and he returned the gesture.

Aaron chuckled. “You pair of kids! Come on, let’s go.” 

When they arrived at the airport and Aaron found his terminal, he told Robert he might as well head off to work, rather than wait to see off the plane.

 

“You sure? I’ve plenty of time on my hands today.”

“Yeah, go on. The longer you wait with me, the harder it’ll be to actually leave you behind when they call my flight.”

“Aaron Dingle, is this you telling me you’ll miss me?”

“Only if you don’t broadcast it to Adam and anyone else who enjoys mocking me for the fun of it.”

“Your secret’s safe with me. I love you. Call me when you land?”

“Yeah I will do. Love you too,” Aaron smiled, enjoying the way the words simply bounced off his tongue now. He kissed Robert goodbye, content but already looking forward to their reunion upon his return.


End file.
